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Götterdämmerung [IC/PG-16/COMPLETED]

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Tough Luck

The swaying and singing that Olivander observed were, while interesting, very disturbing. There was, of course, nothing wrong with swaying and singing. However, the song that they sang sent chills down his spine. Slowly, they began to place offerings into the fire. These offerings were all inanimate and didn't appear to be much other than ordinary things one might find in their bedroom or by searching their pockets. Perhaps they were personally meaningful items that each person decided to let go of in a display of respect to this ritual and whomever it serves. That, however, was another question Olivander had. Which god, exactly, was this ritual for?

As his eyes met Joy's, Olivander tapped Kitt on his shoulder. "I'll be right back," he said softly. He pushed his way through the crowd as the ritual ended, making his way to stand squarely next to Joy.

"There's something I still don't understand," he began right away. "Who is answering your prayer? Who is being worshipped by this ritual? Is it the island itself? Is it alive? If not, then what god are you serving that would receive this without being blasphemed?" he asked, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Your people are clearly invested in this," he said with a nod. "And it doesn't look like anyone is being harmed. However, I don't think this is the full picture." He shrugged as he locked his eyes on Kitt from across the room, keeping his expression neutral.

"Do they know who they're praying to?" Olivander asked as he recalled the party-goers dropping their belongings into the flame. "And--wow, I'm finding more questions still," he chuckled to himself. "This flame is clearly of magical origin. How was it obtained?" He scratched his head and sighed as he remained next to Joy. "I think I've got more questions now than when this first began."

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Feed the Fire

“Do not speak to me of the natures of my station. Remember, I have just as much claim to deciding heresy as you.”

Kitt's eyes met hers...the spark he saw in her furious eyes, though the smile wavered not. There was something off about it, he felt, but he couldn't put his finger on it at all. Especially when the disturbing display began...the song especially. The contortions of their upper bodies when they swayed and danced with their distinct harmonious singing...it was enough to put anyone in a feeling of uneasiness. And yet, even for a Watchdog, this was worrisome and unnatural. And yet through it all...Joy just...stared at them. Why?

"I'll be right back,"

"Be careful..." Kitt nodded, watching Olivander approach Joy. Luckily he moved a bit closer just to overhear the two.

"There's something I still don't understand. Who is answering your prayer? Who is being worshiped by this ritual? Is it the island itself? Is it alive? If not, then what god are you serving that would receive this without being blasphemed? Your people are clearly invested in this. And it doesn't look like anyone is being harmed. However, I don't think this is the full picture. Do they know who they're praying to? And--wow, I'm finding more questions still. This flame is clearly of magical origin. How was it obtained? I think I've got more questions now than when this first began."

Questions continue to pile up...we're obviously missing something... Kitt thought, keeping his surroundings in view whilst also listening to the two.

"͠Tat҉ib͠us̨ is a word of power," Joy said matter-of-factually. "It's part of the gods' language of creation, yes, but, in a sense, the ceremony is not worshiping any deity at all. We're worshiping nothing. But I can understand the confusion." She gestured around the fire. The circle of people was still there, but the people consisting of it were no longer making an effort towards its maintenance, and many had sectioned off into groups to make idle chatter again. "There were a few people who didn't quite get it when I introduced it, either, though I think we've made great strides since then. As for the fire..."

As if on cue, someone bumped into Kitt, and when he turned he saw that it was Ricky, the young dockworker from earlier that day. His mind immediately reeled from the conversation he was listening just to get a glimpse of the dockworker. Curse his timing and making him miss the next portion of what Joy was about to say. Ricky? Hmmm he did say he was going to be here too...but he seems like he's lost...what's going on?

"Gah, sorry!" he said, clearly more shaken by the impact than Kitt could have been. "I just... I know I shouldn't be here but stuff started bothering me again, so of course I had to go find an important person, and people said all the important people are here, so... Uh, sorry." He rubbed the back of his head and looked around. When he caught a full glimpse of the fire, his eyes lit up. "Oh, that's what happened to that stuff! I gave the book back to Joy, then she used it, but then I realized I forgot to bring something, so I just tossed in what I could."

"Wait...you know you shouldn't be...?" Kitt began to mutter. "You mentioned to Sparky earlier today you'd be here because...and I quote: 'Isn't everyone?'." He also noticed the look he had the moment he saw the fire, the eyes of the boy lighting up. When he listened into this realization, he nodded. "If that's what happened, then I bet I also know what happened to your tools. So you gave the book to Joy and then you tossed your tools in. That would make things easier to understand in a order of operation..."

That's when his mind finally realized something else Joy said to Olivander a moment ago: the ceremony is not worshiping any deity at all. We're worshiping nothing. His eyes widened at this, before making a connection. Back on Galatea... Simon Weatherson, a worshiper of an oblivion of nothing. They too worshiped not a deity...but simply oblivion. The similarities between Joy and her merry band here with this party and Simon's small oblivion and void devoted cult seemed too on the nose...

"Shit..." Kitt muttered, glancing back at Olivander and Joy as he remembered the words spoken to him by Nuumu's Watchdog...especially that ancient word: Inanis. "Apologies Ricky, but I need to go..." he said, quickly turning around to make his way to the two Watchdogs. Hopefully nothing would hinder him making it to them.

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Paradise Warfare

“As for the fire,” Joy said, “that is as mundane as fire can be. I imagine you would not like to hear that this particular bonfire is descended from Lar’s hearth, but that is simply an act of convenience. There is no malice in it, and if you demand it be different in the future, that can be arranged. Again, the supernatural effect is in the word tat҉ib͠us̨ itself. That is the thing that is consuming our island, replacing it with a newer, better, albeit illusory one.”

She was pretty proud about that particular answer, though perhaps that was still the adrenaline of the ceremony still getting to her. Sure, perhaps the cracks were beginning to show -- the constant hounding of questions was exhausting even if she still wanted to prove the actions she had chosen were correct -- but it reminded her peer of the stakes, the solution, and, in her eyes, had no hint of mistruth. She hadn’t been lying before, sure, but she also had no intention of starting now.

When Joy looked off, she noticed that Ricky had crashed the party. Which was fine. Not even dealing with his clumsy antics could sour her mood now. She still remembered the previous night perfectly, how he meekly handed her book, a book she’d lent him for the express purpose of his own betterment, back to her and then struggled for the length of the ceremony trying to find something else to burn. “At least internalize the knowledge inside it before you pass it off to oblivion,” she remembered thinking, tossing the book in herself as if to finish making her point. She hoped her point got made soon; she’d only had one or two more books, and as the ceremonies continued, that number would have to dwindle down eventually.

And the ceremonies did have to continue. They’d all agreed to that, and they’d come too far to back down now.

Her eye caught movement and she refocused her attention to see the other watchdog, Kitt, breaking away from Ricky with a worried look on his face. “Ah, here he comes,” Joy said, letting Olive know of this same notice. “I will tell you this: unless I have forgotten what I have and have not told you, I think I have laid everything out on the table. The party should be winding down soon, so unless you have good reason to stop us, preparations for tomorrow’s party already need to start being made.”


OOC

Spoiler

Subtitle is a Carpenter Brut song.

Shifted into Joy's head for this one to hopefully give some context for her that I wouldn't have been able to with that veneer she's been putting up, similar to what I did with Levanna back on Galatea. I don't know if you'll be able to capitalize on any of that immediately, what with that requiring meta knowledge, but it should be helpful for me in the future to have it on paper at the very least.

In terms of what's next for posting, we've entered the "put up or shut up" part of the island. It's a little earlier than the other two, to be sure, but, well, I have two reasons for doing this now: The first is that, while I could probably keep answering questions forever, this seems to be clogging up the narrative pipes to a degree I'm uncomfortable with, so I'd like to move on at least a little bit. The second reason is that Joy is still a watchdog. As she's reminded you both before, she is your peer, which means unlike Galatea and Corpus, she's not just going to do what you want with but a question or two offered as resistance. Basically, what I'm saying is I expect this section to take longer.

I imagine Kitt is posting next since he's the one with the big revelation and who is running over to reveal it to Olive, but don't let that stop you, Duck, if you see something that's gotten you unstuck. And if either of you are still stuck, as always, let me know. My schedule might be changing drastically soon, but that doesn't mean I won't still be able to respond at least on the same day.

Happy posting,

-r

 

Edited by radio414

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It's All Coming Together

In moments, Kitt found himself getting nearer and nearer to the pair...almost like how Olivander got around with his fast paced nature. Nevertheless, Kitt finally made his way to the Watchdog of Hinder, seeing him finish speaking with Joy. He took Olivander by the arm and pulled him away for a moment. "We need to talk...now..." he said sternly, trying to stay composed.

Confused, Olivander obliged. "Pardon us," he said to Joy. "You look like you've seen a spirit," Olivander said once they were out of earshot of Joy. "What is it?"

Kitt looked at his ally and with the sternest look possible, began. "I think I know what's going on. Think for a moment...what did Joy say earlier? What are they worshiping?"

"She said they're not worshiping anything. It's just that they're... performing... ", OIivander's eyes began to narrow. He gritted his teeth and stared into Kitt's face. "It's happening again, isn't it?"

"Looks like you remember..." Kitt nodded, glancing over his shoulder. "It's more just heavy similarities, but at the same time...remember, this isn't the first time this specific style of worship has been had...and if my hunch is correct...they aren't worshiping anything...nothing but oblivion, just like Simon." He paused, finally saying the name. Kitt remembered the last encounter the two of them as well as Simon endured. While the memory of Olivander beheading Weatherson played once more in his mind, he continued. "I know not why this seems to be reminiscent of our prior engagement at Galatea...all I do know is that we need to converse with Hinder and Taros...together, at the same time. Perhaps they may have something to shed on this...because I'm sure Joy isn't 100% in tune with her connection with the deity if this is happening."

Olivander nodded, feeling defeated. "Then I failed the first time. Which means my tactics won't work here again. That's fine with me. I'll follow your lead. The sooner we converse with Taros and Hinder, the sooner we'll learn something about oblivion. But Kitt," Olivander tried to express quietly. "If oblivion can fashion entire false villages, what kind of destruction can it cause? We only got a taste of it on Galatea. If an entire village feeds it, can you imagine the repercussions?"

He balled his fist. "For now, I will stay my hand. But you know all too well what I'm willing to do if it means stopping this."

"Hence why I never mentioned to you staying your hand...I learned from my mistake and outburst that day." Kitt nodded, sighing heavily. "As for what this oblivion is and what it does...I know not...but if it's a combination of this oblivion and inevitable end to everything they worship and it somehow correlates to the emergence of the language of the gods, then there's no telling...after all tat҉ib͠us̨ seems to be the cause of this...so I'm unsure. Regardless...this time..." He paused, looking down at the floor before exhaling once more, seeming lost in his memories...

"Reason? You want to discuss reason when the only thing keeping Simon alive is my very patience? And then you patronize me and use my god's words in vain. Here is your reason, Watchdog of Taros. Simon has gotten people killed simply by tongue. He has opened his mouth to speak and has brought down oppression on the people of this city. They now lie in wait to find out if he will continue to freely plague them and speak the blasphemous teachings that have gotten one too many of them killed! I've watched too many men with evil intentions turn into kings and tyrants who oppress their people and leave them to die. I will not watch it happen again!"

Those words haunted him as he spoke out of line...and made that outburst, even patronizing Hinder's own words to him...even when he wasn't trying. Then Kitt stared back at Olivander, coming back to reality. "This time I won't hesitate to do what needs to be done...not like I did last time."

"Then I have your back. Lead the way, my friend," Olivander answered simply.

With a nod, Kitt moved away from Olivander and prepared to make his way to the temple...it may not have been what it was made to be...but it was the dwelling place of the deities regardless. Oddly enough, something else dropped into his being...another thing he most likely would have to address... He glanced back at Olivander, who was following him and simply sighed. Perhaps...now is the time to make mention of it... he thought, making sure his ally was keeping up with him. "Olive...remind me when we get to the temple proper...that I may need to tell you something else. I suppose, if we're working together in unison on this...then I may need to bring something up..."

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Staggered

 

"Olive...remind me when we get to the temple proper...that I may need to tell you something else. I suppose, if we're working together in unison on this...then I may need to bring something up..."

Olivander stopped in his tracks, just behind Kitt. "No. There shouldn't be secrets between us, Kitt. Not now. Not when something so critical is happening. Whatever it is, I need you to tell me now," he requested. "If it's damaging, I'd rather we approach it together sooner than later."

Kitt stopped as well, sighing heavily before glancing at Olivander. He pulled him aside and made sure it was away from people. "I'm trying to say this most likely shouldn't be spoken out in public...hence why I was waiting until we got to the temple." he sighed.

"I don't think anywhere we go here will be safe. Unless we go all the way back to the Swallowtail, there's no point," Olivander said quietly. "We can't trust anyone or anything we see. So what's so urgent?"

Olivander had a point, unfortunately. No where around here could be trusted and with the buildings, gods forbid they could trust any of that. He sighed and just motioned towards a small area the both knew were simply ruins. Once he did that, he sat on the ground, running his hand through his hair. "Olive, you know how the gods tend to not interfere directly in the affairs of mortals, right?"

Olivander nodded. "I do. Go on."

"That said..." Kitt paused, before sighing again. "Let me tell you a story my father told me...it's meaning will come in due time." He exhaled slowly, seeming to steel himself. "There once was a man...one who knew the ways of the craft from his father, and his father's father. Betrothed to him was a true work of art, one he made his wife. Between the two, they would create a true work of art: the gift of life, bestowed upon a child. Like all things, in life, tragedy struck the man and he lost both his wife and the child. Desperate, he returned to his craft, wanting nothing more than his lineage to continue...but the vessel created was unsuited for the tasks provided. Until one day...he prayed to the Forge Master to assist him. The Forge Master was bemused by this and accepted this request, creating a vessel that couldn't be rivaled, before breathing live into it..."

Olivander could only stand silent as he tried to decipher the story. "... the Forge Master created a person? Is that what you're getting at? But, who are they and what do they have to do with this?"

Kitt remained silent for a while, before sighing again. Forgive me Taros, but I need to speak this to him...in order for us to be triumphant against whatever may come. he thought, before looking at his companion. "I thought the same when my father told me that story...but as I grew, I was told that there was another part to it. The Forge Master created and breathed life into his created vessel under a circumstance that he presented to the man...that the creation would follow him and be his tool, a law of equivalent exchange so to speak." Kitt leaned his head against the wall behind him. "So...my father agreed." He looked at Olivander, beginning to see the look of realization on his face. "Yes...I'm the vessel Taros created...and brought to life."

Olivander's face shifted from shock to satisfaction. "That explains so much," he thought aloud. "It explains why you're so forward and virtuous. You are of Lord Taros after all, quite literally. Wow, Kitt," he said with a sigh. Olivander rubbed his chin and pondered a bit. "But then, you don't think this changes our relationship do you? That I'd look to you differently because you weren't born of men?"

"Truthfully, I know not what this would've changed if anything at all." Kitt admitted, only sighing again. "All I know is that Taros spoke to me of it and said that this was practically taboo...a secret to be kept away from his brethren. But...I myself, didn't want this to end up being brought forth and used as a wedge and leverage to turn us against on another."

Olivander extended his hand to Kitt. "Right now, you're one of the few people I do trust."

"Honestly, at this point that's all we got..." Kitt looked at Olivander's hand and immediately had his hand clasp the thief's.

Olivander gladly shook Kitt's hand as they finally reached the temple. There was still a lot of investigation to do, but hopefully the god's could shed some light on Oblivion. "We'll reconvene shortly. As you speak with Lord Taros, I shall speak with Lord Hinder. Let us return to the Swallowtail to converse afterwards." The Watchdogs temporarily went their separate ways and Olivander found an altar to pray to Hinder.

As he kneeled, he felt anxious. Questions rushed to him one after another, but he wasn't sure where to begin.

"Lord Hinder, hear me," he said as he offered a coin to the altar before him.

Edited by Comrade Duck

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Storm

Well, things are certainly starting to brew, aren’t they? There are three watchdogs on Andalou, and each of them, even though they know how little good it will do in the grand scheme of things, has decided to petition the deities they serve. Olive has placed a coin at Hinder’s altar, Kitt is mediating at the forge of Taros, and Joy has returned home after another successful party.

Now, nobody would call any of this breaking the rules, and besides, watchdogs are under much looser rules anyway, but even still, the kind of advice these dogs are looking for is not advice the gods can give so easily… by themselves, that is. It is nighttime, though, and channelling a message through Myria’s domain takes but a moment of cooperation. The only cost to this loophole is a small fraying of reality.

But wasn’t it always going to fray anyway?


Static

The glint of Lar’s hearthfire reflects off of the metal slab of an altar left to Taros, which slowly morphs into a vision provided only to Kitt:

Kitt’s vision is that of a cave carved by human hands into the side of a mountain. Time moves quickly in his vision, so he can see everything, from the initial excavation to the support beams going up and, eventually, carts being wheeled in and out, carrying precious ore. Iron is this particular mountain’s yield, though as time continues to speed by, the carts become less and less frequent, and their returns less rewarding. Less and less iron is extracted from the mountain.

But the carts never stop entirely. Even when they’re only carrying out stone, they still keep cycling through, and slowly -- and yes, it is slow even in the vision’s sped-up state -- the mountain begins to shift. It becomes clear: the mountain is being hollowed out, stripped of everything it ever held, until there is nothing left to take but the exterior rocks. When those are gone, then, one by one, the carts are broken down and the pieces loaded onto the next so another cycle can be made.

The last cart is wheeled off, and nothing remains of the mountain, and, as the sun sets on this final, day, it starts to flicker, and the illusion breaks, and the reflection of Lar’s fire returns to the fore.


Sleep

Joy has a dream that night. She dreams she’s at a party with everyone she has ever known. Everyone on Andalou is there, of course, as is her family, as are the religious elders she trained under. Even the other watchdogs on the island, two people she has known for barely a day are there, even if their forms are hazier, their words distorted by a subconscious lack of knowledge.

She ignores them anyhow. They are not the center of the party. No, the person -- the being -- commanding the most attention, the party’s lifeblood, is Laeta herself. Everyone surrounding her gets equal attention in turn. The stories she tells involve her entire audience, and the jokes and games get everyone in uproarious laughter. And yet still Joy pushes through, closer and closer to her goddess, the one that now defines her as much as she, her god, desperately trying to break through the crowd.

Laeta has to single her out to give her what she desires, gently taking her hand -- the one thing Joy manages to pierce the final crowd barrier with -- and guiding the rest of her forward, letting the crowd dutifully split apart now that the goddess has taken action, before pulling Joy into a warm hug, the warmest she has ever felt.

“Oh, my child…” she says, pulling out of the hug to smile down on her watchdog, her hand moving to caress her face, “Oh, sweet thing of mine, guider of our future…

“Do not screw this up.”


Like Antennas To Heaven…

As soon as Olive places the coin on Hinder’s altar, the coin begins to shift, growing and warping until it adopts a new form: the thread from the Sindalium Spinning Wheel, the very thing he stole to gain his initiation in the first place. Hinder was there too, sitting on the altar as though he didn’t care much for the importance placed on the thing, and if Olive were to look around, he’d notice the room had shifted to match the circumstances as well.

“Here’s a fun fact for you, boy-o:” Hinder says, picking up the thread and vanishing it just as he did the first time they had met. “You and my other watchdog? You’re almost nothing alike. Which is weird, right? You’re supposed to be all the same because you’re supposed to be like us. That’s kind of silly, though. I mean, stick two Taros watchdogs in the same room and they’ll have disagreements about how to make a hoe or whatever problem they’re trying to solve.

“But hey, there are still some similarities between you two,” Hinder continues, now kicking off the altar and pacing around Olive. “I mean, you’re both watchdogs now. That’s something. But also this: They, and every watchdog of mine stretching back as long as watchdogs have existed, have ended up with the same questions. And I get it. It’s a lot to just dump on someone, whether they’re asking for it or not. But they never seem to figure that ‘every’ part out. They just stop at the questions and don’t even think about anyone else. Hell, some of them that do still get bent out of shape about it.

“Honestly, I think it’s neat. Every human, no matter their differences, having the same problems certainly makes you easier to con.” He grins, produces the string again, and transmutes it back to a coin. “But also, if they realized it a bit sooner, that’d make the problems a lot smaller real quick.”

He sits back on the altar and flips the coin back over to his watchdog. The room starts to shift back to Andalou’s temple. “Olivander Steele,” Hinder says, “my advice to you, then, is this: I could tell you all the fluff, about how you’re my watchdog and I’ll support you no matter what. What you are asking of me, it’s been asked before. But I think just that, that you’re all feeling the same stuff, is pretty powerful on its own.”


OOC

Spoiler
Spoiler

I know I used "Storm" as a subtitle before but this time it's related to the Godspeed You! Black Emperor album, Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven, so, you know. That's where the other titles are from as well.

It probably makes sense to split this OOC section into parts just like the actual post. The first one is just an intro, establishing more firmly in the text that Kitt is also consulting Taros, that Joy is doing that, and also a clarification on what time it is.

Kitt: Probably the most cryptic of the three messages. I don't know if it'll help with the decision-making about whether to put up or shut up, but you may interpret it as you may. There's not really a wrong answer (you know, biblically, prophets of God had special eyes to see exactly what their God-given visions represented, so you can treat it like that if you want).

Joy: :thinking_emoji:. I put hers in the middle because it relates to both, not that, again, either of your characters knows about this, so it's really just (good?) transition material. From a story perspective I wanted to establish beyond any doubt that she was still under Laeta's sponsorship, just in case the thing with the chorus got a different interpretation in anyone's head.

Olive: Hinder gets to use Olive's real name because he's a god lol. I wanted to structure this one more like a flashback, like this is something Olive would have heard before being sent to the Swallow Tail, but I chickened out because firstly, that felt like the biggest breach I'd have done since writing a kicked character out of the narrative to be killed offscreen to insert backstory like that, secondly, I wanted it to feel like a revelation of some sort, something you learned on the journey for, you know, reasons, and thirdly, Olive wouldn't have gotten any dialog so an actual flashback would have felt weird. You can still treat it like that on your own post if you want, but I wanted it to be a little open-ended. Things are fraying, after all. It's okay either way.

I didn't provide direct direction in the post because you established you'd be headed back to the Swallow Tail to discuss your communions. If you want to time skip to the next morning, you can sleep there if you like as well. As always, let me know if there are any questions you have, and I'll catch you on the doobly-doo.

-r

 

Edited by radio414

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The Best Offense

Olivander stood slowly after his prayer, allowing Hinder's words to seep deeply into his mind and heart. He smiled, feeling rejuvenated and invigorated by his lord's words. "Thank you, Hinder," he said softly. Almost immediately, Olivander's mind began to race, as he wondered who had eyes on the temple. Per his last conversation with Kitt, they would discuss their prayers aboard the Swallow Tail. Not wanting to wait around, Olivander left the temple with haste and sprinted toward the Swallow Tail.

As he approached, he was greeted by a resounding "BUCKAW!" from Sir William. The chicken leapt into his arms and Olivander caught him with a warm hug. "I missed you as well, Sir William. But let's get inside, shall we? There's much to talk about." Sir William only nodded his feathery head as they climbed aboard the Swallow Tail once more. "Let's wait outside Kitt's door. I'll need you to officiate our meeting, of course," Olivander said with a wink. What Olivander didn't realize is that Sir William took his job very seriously.

With a wing, he saluted Olivander as they approached Kitt's room. There, Sir William hopped down out of Olivander's arms and began pacing around Kitt's entrance, guarding the room with gusto. "Not much else to do now, my friend. We wait for our comrade."

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"We'll reconvene shortly. As you speak with Lord Taros, I shall speak with Lord Hinder. Let us return to the Swallowtail to converse afterwards."

With that, their plan was set in stone and put in motion. Perhaps the gods could give them exactly what they needed to hear…Kitt could only hope so.


One Vision

"Your steel is my body, your fire my blood. Forge a pathway to understanding and cleave through uncertainty. I am the bone of your sword, you are the Master Forger…Lord Taros, please assist me in this matter…"

The iron ingot left at Taros' altar, Kitt's prayer finished…he simply remained at the altar, still as could be. His breathing, calmed and slowed, his eyes fixated on the altar and the iron ingot. He could see Lar's hearthfire reflecting in the metal, to which he found comforting, for some reason. However, the more he stared…the more things began to unfold for the Watchdog of Taros.

A vision presented itself within the reflection of the hearthfire and the metal altar….

A mountain, enormous and powerful as could be was seen. Further inspection revealed a man made cave that man carved with their own hands, and from it…time began to move in succession. Initial excavation, iron support beams being placed, carts wheeling precious iron ore…it seemed surreal to see it in such a fast progression. However he began to notice the iron ore, over time, became less and less frequent…the carts haul from the mountain becoming less rewarding. Kitt would've thought that as the ore began to dwindle, this would've been the end of the carts going through, but he was wrong.

True to form, the carts continued to cycle through the mountain, slowly carrying out stone. Though now Kitt began to notice something else: the mountain itself was being hollowed out, stripped of everything it ever held so dear to it. The exterior rocks are the only things remaining…and when those were gone, the carts were broken down and it's pieces loaded into another so another cycle could be made. The final cart wheels off and when the sun sets on this final day, nothing remains of the mountain…it's barren…devoid of life…it's precious items removed. And as the sun sets, the vision ends, bringing Kitt back to simply looking into the reflection of the metal altar at Lar's fire.

Kitt simply stood there in silence, contemplating what he had just witnessed. Taros was a deity of many things, but delivering a vision of that magnitude was something he wasn't aware of…probably not even Flynt was…he never heard of his patron ever pulling something like this to his Watchdogs…so perhaps there was a reason and answer to gleam from this? He, himself, had some idea...least in his interpretation of it at least, but he wasn't sure of it. He wasn't a Watchdog to Myria...he was a simple Forge Dog...nothing more...nothing less.

Perhaps...an allegory and parable that would equate itself to the state of the world it currently finds itself in? Perhaps it was simply showing the true nature of humans...taking what the gods had provided them without much of a thank you or reverence enough to pay back their kindness? It did, however, seem like a constant cycle, if the carts being broken down so another cycle could be made portion told him anything. But again, he couldn't be 100% sure. For now, he needed a second opinion about this strange vision.

With a heavy sigh, Kitt turned to notice that his comrade was already gone. Seemed like he already made his way back to the Swallowtail. It was time to rendezvous back at the ship and hope they could get the answers…


Once he returned to the Swallowtail, Kitt noticed that Olivander and his rooster were waiting at his door…with the latter seeming to…guard his door? Strange creature indeed… "Apologies for the wait." Kitt gave a bit of a wave, before sighing slightly. "Let's get to business…I'll let you go first, Olive." he said, opening the door and ushering both of his guests in.

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The Longest Road

When Kitt arrived and let Olivander into his room, Sir William clucked behind him. "What's wrong, Sir William?" Olivander paused to ask.

"Buck. Buck-buck," Sir William clucked.

"You're going to stay behind and guard the door? A brave man indeed. We're grateful for your service," Olivander said with a salute. Once he and Kitt entered the room, he shut the door behind them. "Down to business then."

Olivander took a seat on the floor in front of Kitt's bed, folding his legs. "Though our conversation was brief, Lord Hinder affirmed my actions. He was in full support of whatever measures I believed to be right and just. With that in mind, I think it best for us to begin preparations." Olivander took a moment to pause again, his face slightly drooping as he felt saddened. "Kitt. If you don't feel the need to get your hands... dirty... I understand. I don't want you to violate your own morals and beliefs because of me. I can do this if need be. But I won't turn you into something you're not. You're a good man," Olivander said as he finally smiled.

"Me? Not so much. I'd much rather the blood soak into my fingernails than have it stain your soul," Olivander expressed. "Of course, that's if we even need to go to such drastic measures. But rest assured, I'll respect whatever decision you make."

His mind lingered on the thought of resolving their dilemma without violence. He searched and searched and searched his mind, heart and soul. Yet, Olivander could not find an answer that did not require his dagger. He kept his expression neutral, despite the awful results playing in his head.

"Enough about me. These are your quarters. What do you have?" he said, gesturing to Kitt.

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Regale the Tale

"Though our conversation was brief, Lord Hinder affirmed my actions. He was in full support of whatever measures I believed to be right and just. With that in mind, I think it best for us to begin preparations."

Kitt simply listened to Olivander speak of his time speaking with Hinder. Naturally, his patron simply said he would support his Dog in his endeavors. It made sense, after all, Taros once told him the same back on Galatea. Though while in his thoughts, he was brought back to the reality of things when Olivander continued.

"Kitt. If you don't feel the need to get your hands... dirty... I understand. I don't want you to violate your own morals and beliefs because of me. I can do this if need be. But I won't turn you into something you're not. You're a good man…Me? Not so much. I'd much rather the blood soak into my fingernails than have it stain your soul. Of course, that's if we even need to go to such drastic measures. But rest assured, I'll respect whatever decision you make."

This…surprised Kitt, in more ways than one. Before, Olivander wouldn't have even considered him nor the weight of a life on another man's soul…least it's what he thought anyway. Now? Now he was concerned about the possible soiling of another's soul and his hands. It truly surprised him. Was this really the same Watchdog he set sail with at the beginning?

"Enough about me. These are your quarters. What do you have?"

"Firstly, don't worry about me...if the situation comes to that...then Taros' will be done." he quickly replied, before sighing a bit with a shake of his head. "Back to the subject at hand, honestly…not much on my end. Unlike the last time I spoke to Lord Taros…this time, he decided to be…cryptic…" He glanced over and saw Olivander raise an eyebrow. "He sent me a vision…nothing more, nothing less."

He crossed his arms and began to retell the vision to his comrade…

"A mountain, enormous and powerful as it could be, the sun rises. A man made cave would be seen, carved with their own two hands. From it, progression of time showed the initial excavation and the support beams being put in place. Then carts full of the mountain's bounty…iron ore…were wheeled off one by one. Over time, however, the mountain's 'treasure' became less and less rewarding as the ore seemed to be decreasing in amount. But this wasn't the end of this vision…far from it." Kitt paused for a moment, catching his breath. "Soon enough, the carts began to carry out stone…this mountain being hollowed out in the process, being stripped of everything within it. The exterior rocks were all that remained, and when those were gone, the carts were broken down and it's pieces loaded into another so another cycle could be made. At last, the final cart wheels out and the sun sets upon the mountain, barren, devoid of life, stripped of its precious items…and that's where the vision ends."

Once he finished, Kitt could tell there was a strong heaviness and silence in the air. It was a pretty cryptic vision and a heavy one as well…so it wasn't a wonder.

"I know not the interpretation of this vision, alas, I wish we had Myria's Watchdog with us for that answer." he sighed, before continuing. "I do think, it equates itself to the world we find ourselves in now. Where it shows the true nature of humans, taking what the gods have provided without so much of a thank you or reverence to thank them for their in the process. The fact that the carts were broken down so another cycle could be something along the lines of this being a constant cycle…but I'm open to your thoughts on this vision, Olive."

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The Shortest Perils

"I do think, it equates itself to the world we find ourselves in now. Where it shows the true nature of humans, taking what the gods have provided without so much of a thank you or reverence to thank them for their in the process. The fact that the carts were broken down so another cycle could be something along the lines of this being a constant cycle…but I'm open to your thoughts on this vision, Olive."

Olivander rubbed his chin as he pondered Kitt's vision. "I think you're onto something there," he began. "The mountain, perhaps, represents the gods themselves. Looming over the lower lying land and providing it with an abundance of resources and opportunities. Initially, the people--which, of course, seem to just be people--approach the mountain carefully and take only what they need. While doing so, they build support inside the mountain to maintain its integrity; I believe that represents prayer and offerings. Over time however, less support is built, but the mountain continues to provide what little resources it has left. That, however, is where I think our insight begins to differ."

Olivander sat forward with his head in his hands, practically glaring a hole into the floor as he tried to explain himself. "The gods are mighty. Their power, from what little I know, is limitless. There's almost nothing they can't do. So, why then, would prayers or the lack thereof, hinder their ability? I can see the relation, but I don't understand why it works that way. It implies that the gods need us. But the mountain doesn't need humans. It's a mountain. It simply exists for centuries and centuries so long as man doesn't destroy it.

Does that then mean that we're destroying the gods through prayer? That wouldn't make sense either," he said as he scratched his head. Olivander sighed. "One way or another, the gods are being harmed and it would seem that man is the cause. What I also believe is that the presence of the mountain being reduced to nothing is a bit on the nose. Nothing is quite literally the problem we're facing right now. In your vision, nothing stems from the greed of the people. The people are greedy for resources from the mountain. If the mountain represents the gods, then I think the grand summary would be..."

Olivander took a short breath. "The prayers that are being fed to Nothing are killing the gods. And soon, Nothing will break us all down until a new cycle of gods is born again."

He lied down on the floor and looked to the ceiling. "Now I wonder if we can stop this blasphemy before the gods vanish and the world crumbles."

 

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No Glory In The West

Joy met the two watchdogs as they came back out of the Swallow Tail the following morning. She still wore her trademark smile, though it was different in a few key ways. The first was that the smile had a raggedness to it. She hadn’t slept well at all the previous night; as soon as her commune with Laeta ended she had snapped right awake and never was able to resume her slumber. She’d spent half the night interpreting her vision and, once she finally had, spent the other half trying to decide what to do about it.

There was a glint of righteousness in her eye that wasn’t there before too, or, at least, had only been there during the ceremony. That was what making the decision she had had done to her. She was determined, now. Each and every step felt meaningful. 

Lastly, and perhaps this particular feature of Joy’s appearance superseded all that other minutiae: she was glowing, not just as a particularly superlative adjective for her appearance -- that was part of the “staying up all night trying to decide” was for, even if it was just a small bit -- but literally. All onlookers saw her form backlit by a powerful light, strong enough to always keep her shadow facing them, though never strong enough to blind anyone. Some dared ask her about it as she’d made her way down Andalou’s cobblestone streets to the docks, and while they did find her as agreeable as ever, she did still dodge the question. Many others decided it was best to simply avoid the watchdog, or smile, nod, and move on at most.

This is what Joy said to the watchdogs: She said, “Well, let’s stop beating around the bush, then, shall we? Are you here to kill me? If you are, I would at least like to request the arena. There’s a garden on the opposite edge of the island, on the outskirts of the castle grounds. If we hurry, we can still get a glimpse of the nighttime sky as gives way to the day.

“And if you’re not, you need to either tell me why it is that you are here or turn around and get off of my island.”


OOC

Spoiler

Subtitle is an Orville Peck song

Have another dream if you want, or continue the conversation if you suddenly remember something that needs doing, but as promised, we've moved on to the next day.

Otherwise, the post feels pretty self-explanatory to me. I think I know the answer here, which is why Joy put more words into the first half of her ultimatum, but I dunno. I'm not saying she can't be talked down from the specific train of thought that's led her to this either, but, you know. It was either this or have her already waiting there in anticipation, and I figured this was more fun.

If you do attack Joy, let me know first so I can give you what happens, and, as always, let me know if you have any questions, but other than that, happy posting!

-r


 

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To Kill or Not to Kill

"That's the question," Olivander answered to Joy. He shrugged, folding his arms. "In all honesty, Joy, I don't know if I'm here to kill you. Not yet at least," he admitted. "First, we need to have a discussion. "I take it this is your first time dealing with Nothing directly. If you were aware of what the consequences of your actions were, perhaps you wouldn't be involved," he began.

"The island of Galatea had a similar problem. Worshiping Nothing. It got a lot of people killed," he said flatly. "Kitt and I spoke with our patrons. We believe the effects of worshiping Nothing is plaguing even the gods themselves. Dia's waters dried up because of it. Blasphemous prayers turned people to stone. It's something you shouldn't be meddling with." Olivander glanced quietly at Kitt but turned his attention back to Joy quickly. "I'm hoping that you'll listen to reason and drop this charade. It may be a bandage for your people but you aren't actually solving anything. As real as these... what to even call them?" he wondered aloud with a chuckle.

"Perhaps illusions fits best. As real as these illusions may seem, Joy, they are just that. In the end, this will do more harm than good. And I have no desire to harm you. I would much rather persuade you."

Sir William was quietly observing Olivander, Kitt, and Joy from the entrance of the Swallowtail, his feathers puffy. He was afraid. Olivander looked over his shoulder and gave Sir William a reassuring smile, which helped to settle the chicken's feelings. He turned his attention back to Joy once more, knowing full well he shouldn't have let his guard down. "Please, Joy. This has to end. For all our sakes."

Edited by Comrade Duck

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Whether Tis Nobler in the Mind

"The island of Galatea had a similar problem. Worshiping Nothing. It got a lot of people killed. Kitt and I spoke with our patrons. We believe the effects of worshiping Nothing is plaguing even the gods themselves. Dia's waters dried up because of it. Blasphemous prayers turned people to stone. It's something you shouldn't be meddling with. I'm hoping that you'll listen to reason and drop this charade. It may be a bandage for your people but you aren't actually solving anything. As real as these... what to even call them? Perhaps illusions fits best. As real as these illusions may seem, Joy, they are just that. In the end, this will do more harm than good. And I have no desire to harm you. I would much rather persuade you. Please, Joy. This has to end. For all our sakes."

Kitt was genuinely surprised at Olivander taking the lead here in trying to advocate for the peaceful route. Perhaps a bit of his desire for peaceful diplomacy had rubbed off on the thief...then again...perhaps the same could be said for the bloodthirsty nature of a killer...that could've rubbed off on him too. Nevertheless, Kitt stared at Joy, hoping to hear something.

Joy did not immediately react to Olive's plea. Her light did not fade and her face did not change. Eventually, though, she turned around. "Just because I am not aware of your escapades does not mean I don't know the consequences of my actions," she said. "There is no way to keep a populace energized for the perpetual state of celebration I'd envisioned. The ceremony has become more and more central to these things because that's all these parties have become. Not to mention I am keenly aware of the diminishing reality of the island. Some day, as we cast more and more into the fire, the... 'illusions' as you call them will be all that's left. I force myself to remember these things every night. But there are other reasons, too, why I chose the arena I did. Come with me." With that, she started to walk away.

Kitt glanced at Olivander before watching Joy begin to move forward, and he began to follow her. "So you know what you happen to be doing...and you know the consequences of your actions, yet...you still continue? Why is that?"

"Do you tend to only know one or the other?" Joy asked, but she did not wait for an answer. "Ah, well. Did I tell you this story before? When I arrived here on Andalou, the only building still standing was the temple, and only just. I believe you've seen this, otherwise you wouldn't have questioned the ceremony as you did last night. I'm a watchdog of Laeta, but even I could not find the joy in a place such as that, so I deigned to create some."

"...you created this?" Kitt pondered, nodding some. It made sense, somewhat. If the temple was the only thing that was here on the island, considering it had seen better days from what he saw, it being the crux of where it all started would also make sense. "Do the others know of this? ...the facade of the island, I mean."

"Of course they do. Do you think I would lie to everyone else and not you?"

"Truthfully speaking...if it was to preserve the island's integrity you made...then yes." he sighed. "I feel that was too harsh of an assumption, I apologize."

"Well," Joy said, her expression changing at last to something a bit more wry. "It's good to get that off your conscience before one of us ends up brutally murdering the other."

That comment made Kitt feel a chill run up and down his spine. "Jumping to conclusions...if at all possible, if we could get through this without bloodshed, it would benefit us all...." he looked at Joy, before shaking his head. "Unless you believe peace is not an option for this."

Joy's expression turned further into a grimace. "I believe I presented a perfectly adequate peaceful alternative. It's not like the Swallow Tail has disembarked since I last spoke, has it?"

"You simply suggest we leave and let you continue this...that's an ultimatum, not a peaceful alternative solution." Kitt explained. "If this is what the gods have brought us here to deal with, then we cannot just allow ourselves to leave. That would put us out of line with the mission we were given." Joy seemed to not speak a word nor even hatch a response to what Kitt had said, which didn't bode well. His hand rested upon the hilt of his blade at his side. He prayed a fight would not break out...but in the event it did...

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To The Bin My Friend, Tonight We Vacate Earth

They did, in fact, make it to the garden on the other end of the island in time to see the nighttime sky fade away. The garden itself was maintained well enough, though without Helmsley’s loupe it was difficult to tell whether that was thanks to receiving actual maintenance or t͠at҉ib͠us̨’ power making it appear as though it had. There was a fountain in the middle -- even the word of power had not restarted the water there, though -- and a ring of flowers surrounding it, and surrounding those were a scattering of trees and busts of people lost to history. The pathways, just like everywhere else on the island, were cobblestone, and where there wasn’t a pathway or other plantlife there was rich green grass.

Joy paid no attention to any of this. She walked to the edge of the island and kept looking westward, looking for a specific point of light near the horizon. “There it is,” she said when she found it, extending a hand out to show her two opponents. “That’s where you’re headed after this, should you best me.”

It was not a star at all, though it could easily have been confused for one, with its beacon of light constantly changing in intensity like a star’s twinkle. No, just visible underneath it was a lighthouse, resting on one final island. “Destino,” Joy called it. “Maybe there you’ll understand. The world has ended, my fellow watchdogs, and it is ending again. All I can do is give people some comfort on the way out.”

She turned around, finally facing the two again. The light surrounding her intensified, then slowly shifted around her person until it concentrated in her hand. It then convulsed, bent, and stretched until it took the shape of a bow and a quiver of arrows. She selected one of the arrows and notched it, drawing the bow and taking aim. “My name is Joy Garnett, Watchdog of the Goddess Laeta,” she said. “Do not think for a moment that I will go down quietly.”


OOC

Spoiler

Subtitle is a Mogwai song, though you can pretend it's actually "Slings and Arrows" if you want to continue the theme.

This is the first time there's been an actual fight in this RP, despite coming close a few other times, so I'm just going to go over a few ground rules here. There are two big ones: First, I'll be deciding when Joy is defeated, so don't go describing any lethal blows on her person or anything, and second, hitting or getting hit by her light is going to have consequences, so let me know when you're doing that for the first time.

Other than that, I'm waiving the "let me know when you're using watchdog powers" thing because in retrospect that was a weird rule made by someone who was just starting to host their first RP, so go nuts. I tried to give you some landscape to play with, though if you need more details there, just ask.

Let me know if you ever have any concerns. I'm trying something new here so hopefully it goes well.

-r

 

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We Are But Men

As Joy drew her bow and arrow, Olivander let out a soft sigh. He drew his dagger slowly, his expression changing into malice. "We all return to the ground some day," he said calmly. "I suppose you're just more eager than most.

But that's fine with me," Olivander said his dagger now clenched tightly in his right hand. "You had the opportunity to do the right thing. But your pride and your god have clearly gotten in the way of that. By Hinder's hand, I'll kill you both," Olivander boldly proclaimed. He pulled from his opposite pocket the purple pouch he had not touched since he left a prayer to Hinder in Galatea. He opened the mouth of the pouch wide and plunged his hand with his dagger gripped, deep into the endless pouch. As he withdrew his hand, three additional daggers were clenched between his fingers, totaling four. He shoved the pouch back into his left pocket, then wielded two daggers in each hand.

With a quick flick of his wrist, he began hurling daggers at Joy, two at a time.

It was at this moment that Olivander's eyes went wide. As the daggers left his hand, his mind was flooded with memories. David. Pfeifer. They were right in the daggers' path. A horror he hadn't felt before filled his head and nearly made him belt out their names. He felt himself choke and fall to a knee, still clenching the other two daggers in his left hand. The thrown daggers clattered to the ground. Moments later, they faded into gold dust. As Olivander shook his head and examined his vision, he was now sure that David and Pfeifer were in no danger. They weren't here. But whatever that was, it felt like they were here.

His malice grew, angered at the thought of one of his few happy memories nearly being shattered. This only happened because he attacked Joy.

"So that's your game, is it?" he said through clenched teeth. "Is that why you wanted to know what my happiest memory was? Did you know it would come to this?" he groaned. His groans turned to growls as he demanded an answer. "Tell me! Have you already given up, so you're willing to force others to give up as well!?"

He finally stood as the image faded from his mind, but the feeling did not. "Perhaps we're more connected than I perceived," Olivander thought aloud. "I'd had a dream where my heart was ripped out. Hinder said I would lose everything. Perhaps I lose it all to you."

Olivander drew the pouch once more and repeated the exercise from before. He plunged his left hand into the pouch, clenching two daggers still. When he with drew his hand, four daggers were between his fingers. He returned the pouch to his pocket and clenched two daggers in his right hand, mirroring the left. "If that's what it takes to save these people, then so be it."

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Visions

“There it is. That’s where you’re headed after this, should you best me. Destino. Maybe there you’ll understand. The world has ended, my fellow watchdogs, and it is ending again. All I can do is give people some comfort on the way out.”

Kitt watched Joy the entire time, even noticing the next location they would come to port: Destino. But at the same time, Joy gathered light within her hand and it became the weapon of her and her patron: a bow with a quiver of arrows. "...I suppose this was inevitable then..." he sighed, almost disappointed to an extent. He made peace with it, but at the same time, in his heart of hearts...he hoped it wouldn't.

“My name is Joy Garnett, Watchdog of the Goddess Laeta. Do not think for a moment that I will go down quietly.”

"Kitt Axton...Watchdog of the God Taros, the Great Forge Master himself." he replied, slowly unsheathing his blade. It's elegance shone within whatever light was present, truly it was the work of a smith that took time and wanted to reflect their worth into such a beautiful weapon. "We will not falter...we've come this far, we won't allow you to end it."

Naturally, Olivander struck first with his daggers, though...what surprised him was after he threw the daggers, they immediately clattered to the ground and faded into gold dust. "Olive? What's wro-..."

"So that's your game, is it? Is that why you wanted to know what my happiest memory was? Did you know it would come to this? Tell me! Have you already given up, so you're willing to force others to give up as well!?"

Kitt bit his lip for a moment, before exhaling slowly and adopting a stance with his blade near his head. "Don't waver, my friend...we can still win." he said, immediately making a rush towards their archer opponent...and yet...when he did he had to stop suddenly. His stance didn't change, not at first anyway...then, he lowered his weapon ever so slightly. "...father...?" he muttered, seeing the visage of his father, Gaillard Axton, before him. The way he saw this, he knew it...the look...the smile...this was the moment he told his father that he finally became a Watchdog, this was the moment before he officially left home. The blade trembled in his hand ever so slightly as he looked at the elderly man. How long had it been since he seen his father? It had been...too long if anything.

His moment of hesitation and weakness gave him the moment to lower his weapon and guard...just in time of hearing something whizzing his direction...and finally...

It wasn't just the name that caught Laeta's eye, of course. No, Joy understood. She understood exactly the nature of the position better than any of the other celebrants, exactly how the privileges afforded to being Laeta's watchdog were not actually meant to cause happiness. "Forced happiness is no happiness at all," she had said. "A watchdog of Laeta must still create it nevertheless." She was ordained at her predecessor's retirement party, as per the traditions of her temple, and while she remained as an acolyte for a little while longer, her calling eventually took her out into the world. She remembers that day, of standing on the stern of the ship, looking back at her old home, waving goodbye until the sun sets and the island fades from her sight.

The warm feeling of blood trickling down his arm woke him from the apparent stupor he found himself in. Kitt looked at his left shoulder...he was hit with an arrow. And yet, he didn't know it at first...no...he was entranced by...

"W-What...what was that, Watchdog of Laeta?" Kitt asked slowly, now no longer seeing the visage of his father, but now seeing Joy once more, but seemingly like she had just let an arrow go. "...it's your...joyous moment of happiness...isn't it...?"

Joy was solemn. "It's a moment of happiness, if you must know. And to answer your question, Hinder, these are the things I hold onto because I haven't given up. I will never."

The grip on the hilt of his sword grew tighter as he stared at the Watchdog opponent that stood before them. THIS was how she fought...those who would do her harm or attack, they would be presented with their happiest moments. This would force them to drop their guard in order to accept the happiest moment, but in the process, it would leave them open for an attack. An attack which, if hit, would force the opponent to relive Joy's own happiest moments.

"This...this won't sway us, Watchdog of Laeta..." he exhaled slowly. "No matter what you throw at us, we will be victorious."

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The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer

The other question Joy had to answer, she did with this: “I knew I would have to defend my methods, though I did not know what form that might take until I saw the Swallow Tail at my docks. As soon as I did, though, I understood. I tried to convince you that there was no harm in it, but alas.” She raised her bow again. “When I asked you for your memories, I still hoped that would be the end of it. In truth, I ask it of everyone.”

Her bow did not stop rising until it was pointed at the sky, and she let loose only a single arrow, one that rose higher and higher until, at the high point of its arc, the arrow exploded like a firework, and several, smaller yet no less dangerous, beams of light. They rained down upon all three watchdogs, though Joy continued to have no reaction of any sort to the danger. In fact, even her solemn expression was gone, replaced by something entirely unreadable.

The first arrows strike the ground. And yet, even without making contact with anyone, faint images of the memories they carry still remain. This one is the first tree she ever climbed. This one is her and a friend gazing wistfully at the sunset together. This one is her on an island to the east.

That last memory is particularly interesting. A watchdog of Laeta is not only responsible for festivals and celebrations, but also, frequently, for mourning. Nuumu may be the god of the underworld, and Mor the god of death, and both may perform funeral rites all the same, but who do people turn to when all that is over, when their ashes are scattered to the void beneath Naviim? This memory is of overcoming, of understanding, of bringing someone back from despair.

Isn’t she a poor soul? Could you see her doing the same now? Her light is already beginning to fade.


OOC

Spoiler

Subtitle is a Red Sparrowes album

I feel like you're both on the right track for how to actually land a blow on Joy, but just in case, getting hit with an arrow will maybe provide a hint? I mean, you're getting hit with an arrow so I wouldn't, like, reccommend it, but I figured I'd provide the option. The arrows are dodgeable if you're not interested, though.

I don't really have much else to say here since the scene itself is pretty obvious. I guess while you shouldn't be surprised by Joy's light anymore, it would be nice to see a mix of memories out of you both, though obviously that doesn't have to happen if you don't want to. If you have other ideas about how to pierce through it, let me know and we can work something out.

Keep fighting the good fight, both here and out there,

-r

 

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Of My Own Fault

"And to answer your question, Hinder, these are the things I hold onto because I haven't given up. I will never."

Olivander's scowl some how managed to curl further and make his face almost unrecognizable.

“I knew I would have to defend my methods, though I did not know what form that might take until I saw the Swallow Tail at my docks. As soon as I did, though, I understood. I tried to convince you that there was no harm in it, but alas.” She raised her bow again. “When I asked you for your memories, I still hoped that would be the end of it. In truth, I ask it of everyone," he heard Joy say.

His scowl at last began to fade. His face was blank at first, but slowly, Olivander began to smile. The more he analyzed this situation, the more he couldn't help but smile. Eventually, Olivander's smile exploded into full blown laughter. As arrows rained down around him, he continued to laugh and laugh, doubling over and gripping his stomach. When he finally was able to bring himself to control again, Olivander realized just how right Joy was.

"Oh, the irony has only just come to my attention," he said aloud as he side stepped an arrow. "You sound just like me. You want to defend your convictions because of how strongly you believe in them. But the truth is, you're full of shit."

Olivander side stepped another arrow and briefly glanced into the memories inside. He turned his attention back to Joy. "If you hadn't given up Joy, you wouldn't be going to these lengths to prove just how right your god has to be. You would be trying to save these people from oblivion, not feeding them lies until the world ends around them. It's practically nihilism, but only just teetering on the edge. You're so ready to give them an answer through ignorant bliss that they've found comfort in avoiding the truth. It's sad, really."

Olivander folded his arms and let the daggers in his right hand clatter to the ground and turn to gold dust.

"This isn't a fight. This is a waste of time. You're running from the truth because it doesn't fit your world view. And there comes a point where trying to change a person's mind is futile. So I'm going to put this dagger in your heart and then go give these people a fighting chance."

With only his original dagger in hand, Olivander broke into a full sprint at Joy. He made himself intangible and he knew he could not strike Joy while doing so. He had to also get a better understanding of her power. He wasn't sure she could shoot him with an arrow while he was intagible. But, he had to get close if he wanted to kill her.

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Kitt watched it, after being hit with the memories of Joy...Olivander going into a full sprint. The attack hit, a glancing blow to Joy's shoulder. "He hit her..." he said, with a bit of optimism in his voice. Then, the opposing Watchdog spoke again.

"You keep saying I've lied, to you or to my people. I've never lied to them. As for my convictions, we'll see whose are stronger there."

The Forge Dog simply watched as the Watchdog of Laeta just turned and began to run. This was bad...she didn't need to start running, especially when she chose this spot here as her battleground against them. Not a second left to waste, Kitt began to run past Olivander, in an attempt to give chase. "See if you can cut her off! I'll keep after her the best I can!" he called back to his friend...wow...that was the first time he considered this word being used now...he had to be impressed with his growth somewhat.

Regardless, the Forge Dog made haste to chase after...but in the process, light hit him...and he cursed it the moment he was struck by it. But as he kept rushing forward, things began to distort for him. The area shifted around him, causing him to finally stop. He heard familiar sounds, but for the life of him, he knew not what this was at first. But after a few moments...his soul realized what this memory he was witnessing was...


Let Us Make Man in Our Image

Caminus...more accurately...the shrine of Taros...

Kitt stood there, seemingly as that of an astral projected form as he watched the scene before him unfold. Before the shrine's altar and statue of his patron, there knelt his father, Gaillard Axton. There was silence for a good long period of time...until a single clang of a hammer hitting the anvil on the altar was heard...then a second...and finally a third. The clangs rang out through the surrounding area for a long time...until finally...within the shadow of the shrine's statue...there stood his patron: Taros.

BGM

"Not many mortals come this direction, especially none within the Forgekeepers..." his gravely voice spoke, his red eyes pierced through the shadow. "...Gaillard Axton, a blacksmith cut of the same cloth as many others in my employ, and yet a lover of mystic arts. You've come here...to my domain and my shrine...what ails you, my child?"

Gaillard was silent, seeming to tremble before this deity and his imposing visage. "...I humbly come to you, to ask of one thing...a single thing."

"Out with it...what could be so important to you that you would seek a direct audience with me?"

"...please...I beg of you..." Gaillard began to slowly lift his head to stare into the deity's red eyes. "...with the might of your Great Forge, Lord Taros, please...create for me a son." Silence filled the room, only the sounds of the fires from the kilns and forge were heard. "...the vessels and homunculi I've tried to make...just to hold a spirit...nothing is working. They're imperfect...none of them are suited for the task of this. Please...I've already lost both the love of my life and my newborn son...forging and creating things are all I have left...I just...want a son to continue my legacy... my lord, please, if you can find it in your heart t-..."

"Be still!" the deity bellowed out, which caused even Kitt watching this memory to flinch. The horned deity's red eyes narrowed at the trembling blacksmith, before seeming to contemplate the thought for a while. Then...his raspy and gravely voice began to let loose a laugh that echoed throughout the room. "This is quite the prayer and request you've given my ears, Axton." he spoke, his visage now slowly moving away from the shadow...now showing himself in the dim lights of the forge. "Not only that, but it seems you've piqued my interest and given me an out to my own little dilemma. So in this, I shall humor your request, Axton...but not without conditions." A sly smirk appeared on the deity's face, as Gaillard nodded slowly. "An equivalent exchange for this...I create this child for you, a son no less, but in return...he becomes my Watchdog. My current Watchdog here on Caminus, Flynt will be assisting with raising the child...but this is my offer. Do we have an accord on this?"

Silence once again appeared in the room...

"Do...we...have...an...accord?"

Gaillard's eyes looked to the ground for a moment, before raising to meet the Forge Maker's gaze. "...it is...as you wish, Lord Taros..."

The billowing laugh returned, before Taros nodded. "Then let us make man in our image..."

Kitt could notice something, the look of...joy...in Taros' face. Of course, his father's face had it as well, but it was Taros' that surprised him the most. The Forge Master was never one to be known to smile all that much, but it was this moment here that seemed to give him the most joy...possibly even more than he had ever experienced before. The memories began to shift ever so slightly, oddly enough with each sound of the hammer as Taros swung it. He watched the process of his creation...his forging. Now he understood why before...in Galatea...those statues, the doll-like visages...he understood why they terrified him so...because before, he was formed in such a manner as well.

The last moment in this creation was Taros breathing life into the creation he made, finally presenting it to Gaillard. "Axton, I present to you my end of our bargain. A son...blessed by my holy fire and forged with my Great Forge. This is the perfect vessel to be my new Watchdog...name him well..."

Gaillard looked at the tiny child in his arms now, tears streaming down his face... "...Kitt...my son shall be known as Kitt Axton..."

"A fine name..."


His vision returned, as he just seemed to be propped up against a small wall for a moment or two. He felt...tears streaming down his cheek at seeing this. It was a memory of his own...but at the same time, not his own. No, this seemed to be a memory etched into his very core...his very creation...by Taros himself. If anything, this was the happiest memory of Taros himself.

...I never thought...he would've have those types of feelings...in anything... he thought, wiping the tears away for a moment. This would be something he needed to deal with later, but right now...he lost time on getting to chase Joy, as such he immediately pushed himself from the wall and made his way to follow after her again.

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In Violent Times

Joy cursed herself for her carelessness. Her defenses were easy to maneuver, all things considered, and yet she still had not anticipated the Hinder one being able to pierce them so soon. Now she had a bleeding shoulder to pay for it, and while her bow was not the type that needed any particular strength to wield, it was still an inconvenience.

Her retreat took her off the garden path and into an area of trees and morning shade. She had plans for this space as well. Behind her, Joy could hear Taros’ dog barking out his orders. They meant to flank her. There wasn’t much she could do about that particularly, though there was a reason she had run this way. As she ran, she stretched out her arms to brush against every tree she could, and kicked off her shoes to come in contact with the grass. Every tree she touched erupted in peals of laughter, an otherworldly, ethereal sort of laugh that could not be pinned down to any specific age or gender. Every blade of grass trampled beneath her feet came back up glowing, with the impression left behind shifting and extending outwards until they were a neat circle glowing amongst the shade.

There was no wind, but the trees in their laughter still began to shake, and the shaking displaced a few leaves, which drifted down to the ground as well. Some of them landed in the dirt or roots, where they remained, inert and unmoving. Eventually, though, one landed on a patch of light, and suddenly the light erupted outwards and upwards, with solid enough force to knock several more leaves off of the laughing trees. Slowly but surely the chain reaction begins to form. More leaves, more footsteps, more coronas of light.

This light, of course, also contains a piece of her. This is a memory she still reflects on often. It is when I first gave her her word of power.

Call it insidious, but I don’t even need my recipients to use their word of power right away. Occasionally I do expect them to -- I gave Flynt his because of his desperation, what else was he going to do? -- but what I’m really after is the knowledge. I’m after their awareness. It’s difficult to forget something so potent, after all. You still remember ca͢n̷t҉icųm̕ad ͝ ̷ , don’t you?

The day I gave Joy t͠at҉ib͠us̨ was actually during one of the happiest times of her life, though for unrelated reasons, of course. She had just reunited with an old friend and colleague and, together, they had simply travelled around Naviim performing the more mundane tasks associated with watchdogdom. They delivered mail, made delicate changes to the canon, and gave blessings wherever they went. That day, they were free from even all of that, and allowed themselves to wander a garden just like the one you are in now.

Joy’s friend picked a rose for her, and it is there that I sent the word on its breeze to her ear. For the briefest of moments, she saw the rose withered, its petals falling to the grass. But it was nothing more than a trick of the light, she thought, and she still accepted the flower with open arms. She bore the rose on her chest for as long as she could after that, even after the two had to part ways again. As you have surely seen, the rose is gone now.

Joy turned her attention to the path ahead. If the coordination between Hinder and Taros was indeed their plan, she needed to be ready for an attack from the front as well. She’d dismissed her bow to give the trees their laughter, and now she needed something else. Her light morphed and changed again, and now she held a spear, which she brandished and pointed ahead of herself, ready for the next attack.


OOC

Spoiler
Spoiler

Subtitle is a Fourteen Nights At Sea song

Call this phase two, I guess? I don't really have a metric or anything here. All I can really offer is a reminder that you can do whatever you want, which includes how you decide to get around the obstacles Joy has now put in front of you. I wouldn't recommend stepping on any light patches, though; you've seen what they're doing to those leaves.

Let me know if you have any questions or are looking for ideas, and keep fighting!

-r

 

Edited by radio414

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Clash of the Titans

After his memory subsided and he resumed his chase, Kitt stopped suddenly at seeing this next situation of what Joy had concocted. An area of trees and morning shade...he wasn't thrilled about this. "Tch..." Laughing trees, grass patches of light...these were not something he was expecting. What was more, the sudden change in Joy's weapon from what he saw: a spear.

"From one long ranged weapon to another..." he said, his resolve steeled up to the very end. I simply need to wait for Olive to catch up and cut off her escape route. If that means I have to endure this path before me...then so be it. Kitt exhaled slowly, before having something in his mind flash. The image...of his fathers...plural...his creator, his father and his mentor...their smiles in succession. "If you think that this will stop us, then you are sadly mistaken, Watchdog of Laeta."

He began to press forward, his footwork being as fancy as it could. It seemed to flow well in a manner that he never really displayed much before, there was never truly any reason for it. Kitt did his best to avoid every patch of light and even when the laughing trees seemed to hinder him, he did not waver. One did however, attempt to strike at him...and it was in a moment and spot where he had no defense...or...did he?

BGM

"You aren't the only one who has the favor of their patron on their shoulders..." Kitt turned his head slightly, Joy most likely seeing a smirk on the Forge Dog's face. "I am the bone of my master's sword...his embodiment! And as such...I have access to his armory!!" In his free hand, a fiery light erupted from out of nowhere and as the tree's strike seemed to hit, it wasn't an unarmed Kitt it hit, but rather...a shield covered in fiery light. "Shield of Taros! More accurately, the first shield he ever made...a true master crafted weapon! But it's not all!"

Kitt began to turn his body, his momentum fueling the swing of his sword. As with the shield, which not began to dissipate in his hand, now too did the fiery light appear...this time around his sword. "To my hand now...Convergence, the Dawn of the Burning Sun!" The fiery light took form, engulfing his blade and allowing it to change shape into a much larger and more imposing blade. Without much hesitation in the swing, the laughing tree was dispatched, or at least one of em...maybe it was just the limb from it, he couldn't tell. The fiery blade was swung in his hand a few times before the fiery light dissipated from the sword just like it did from his hand earlier. "His realm is that of an unprecedented amount of untouched weapons. Weapons he made himself, but have not wielded, as he could not. But..." Kitt paused, pointing the sword in the direction of Joy. "...perhaps he simply awaited the day for his Watchdog to call upon them. If I have to, I will use each and every one of them until I get through to you, Watchdog of Laeta."

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Mirage

As the dagger glanced off of Joy's shoulder, Olivander cursed under his breath. He failed to finish the job. Joy made to escape, and he and Kitt gave chase. Olivander made himself intangible once more and darted after Joy.

Rage, confusion, sadness, and frustration filled the shores of his head as the waves of emotion crashed back and forth in his mind. "Joy!" he belted out as he pursued her.

"See if you can cut her off! I'll keep after her the best I can!"

Olivander heard Kitt call behind him and quickly glanced over his shoulder. As he did so, he saw Kitt had been struck by light. Gritting his teeth, Olivander understood that Kitt would be entranced for a short time, thanks to Joy's abilities. He had to avoid her holy light at all costs. He couldn't afford to make that mistake. He continued following Joy into a line of trees that suddenly became thick with brush. He suddenly stopped in his tracks when he realized he couldn't see the ground at his feet. He raised his head to examine where Joy had gone, but in that brief moment, he lost sight of her.

He was hesitating. "Fuck," he growled. "Joy! JOY!!" he screamed into the distance after her. He knew she would not respond. He had no choice but to follow her into her own territory. This wouldn't be the first time he actively walked into a trap. Keeping his intangibility active, Olivander sprinted at full speed into the line of trees and shade, into whatever trap she may have in wait.

As he ran, Olivander listened intently for Joy's footsteps. He listened for anything that might give away her location, but his ears were filled with the sound of sweet laughter. The trees around him swayed and bobbed, despite there being no wind present. Olivander paused once more, unsure if he had been put into a trance without realizing it. Had entering the tree line put a spell on him? Was he hallucinating?

As the trees shook, their leaves floated gently to the ground, capturing Olivander's attention as he stood beneath the canopy of shade. The leaves gently fell into a bundle of light in the grass, and the result was a violent eruption of light.

This made Olivander stagger backward, nearly stumbling into one of the light traps. His breathing became shallow and Olivander realized he was unsure about going any further. He was hesitating again. His dagger still being gripped tightly, Olivander looked around, but could not see the way he came in. Instead, he made a last second decision and ran straight at the tree ahead of him, dropping his intangibility entirely as he leaped at it. He barely avoided the light trap below and came into contact with a branch above, where he held on for dear life. Pulling himself up, Olivander balanced on the branch, surprised it could hold him.

Now above the ground, Olivander noticed that the traps below had been placed almost in a line. It looked as though she had gone from tree to tree, littering the ground with traps, knowing that they had no choice except to follow her. Olivander raised his head again and balanced himself, finding secure footing before leaping to the next trapped tree. If he continued on this path, he would surely find Joy. He picked up his pace, leaping from tree to tree like a panther.

On the opposite side, it would seem Kitt had awoken. Olivander could hear trees being felled. "So he's taking a more direct approach. Then I'll take the high road." Olivander kept charging ahead.

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Paradisi Gloria

Joy could hear them, both of them, even through all the noise. She wasn’t about to respond in any way they could interpret, though. Her focus was elsewhere, on keeping her step, on the pain in her shoulder, on the end of her spear. As she neared her destination in mind, her traps thinned out -- not every step was a new patch of light waiting to explode. Instead, she varied it up. Her light shifted until it was emanating from her fingertips. The next tree she touched didn’t laugh, it started to glow, and with certainly more intensity than the grasses and dirt had before it. In fact, the light seemed to have a weight to it; the tree, even with its sturdy trunk, lurched over ever so slightly. Woe betide anyone who stumbled into that, she thought.

They would circumvent it or otherwise dodge out of the way. She knew that. They, and she, were watchdogs of the gods, after all. The only reason the island itself hadn’t been torn apart was because they collectively willed it, they could notice an unnatural tint in a place surrounded by nature. Of course, they were also all still human. She was relying on that. They could all still make mistakes.

Was this her mistake? While they had seemed quite keen to kill her that morning with or without her prompting, she certainly had been the one escalating things. Then again, at least when she and Mor’s watchdog had been travelling around, there had been a reason for it. They had been expected together. What were Hinder and Taros doing? There really was only one reason she could think of: They were together because they were who the gods could send.

So yes, while she’d never directly answered Hinder’s question, she’d always known. As soon as she’d met them both, she had this possibility in mind.

Her destination was just ahead. There was a small clearing in the forest, and the sun was creeping up high enough to illuminate it. When she reached it, she wheeled around, not to check for where her opponents might be (though she certainly had to make sure that her traps were still going off -- they were) but to start tracing a line of light with her spear, creating a boundary encircling her person. It hung oddly in the air, shifting and flexing in seeming response to minute air currents, yet never straying too far or drifting too close to Joy herself. When she brushed it with her spear, it went rigid, and started to hum.

Good, Joy thought. There was still a lot of power stored in it. She removed her spear from the line and the line returned to its drifting state. “Come and get me,” she said.


OOC

Spoiler

Subtitle is a Carpenter Brut song.

I'm running out of ways to say "the fight continues," though she has stopped running now, so maybe that's good for you? Joy's also not thinking about her stab wound, though, so maybe it's bad again, interpret that as you will. In any case, I have answers if you have questions, keep up the good work.

-r

 

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The Life of Thieves

As Olivander continued his acrobatics act, he saw the forest begin to thin. He bounced from tree to tree and could see a clearing ahead of him. He could anticipate one of two things: either the entire clearing was a trap, or Joy was waiting on them. He should have assumed it was both. As he approached the clearing, Olivander sprung higher into the air so that be broke the treeline from high above, potentially avoiding any final traps. As he did so, his eyes landed directly on Joy with a spear in her hands.

He landed with a roll, making himself intangible once more as he stood. His eyes darted left and right, searching for any potential traps he missed. Excluding the dull sound of trees crashing behind him--which Olivander believed to be Kitt--there was only silence.

Joy had a ring of oddly shaped light around her. It almost appeared to be smoke at first glance. The way it was shaped put him on edge. Between that and the girth of Joy's spear, Olivander would have a hard time approaching her. Even if he was intangible, he would have to make himself vulnerable at close range in order to kill her. He would have to get inside her striking range, and inside of the ring. Because this was a fight to the death, there was no doubt that the ring was dangerous to him. And Olivander had more to consider.

Was Joy able to freely control the circumference of the ring? Could she close it or expand it at will? Could she make it change shape? If Joy was able to control light, there was no telling what she could do once he was inside the ring.

Olivander took a long breath and sighed, trying to collect himself. Hinder had already given him his blessing. Even if he died here, if it meant people were free from corruption, his death would be worth it. He couldn't fear death now. He had to be willing to lose everything.

He drew his dagger again and entered a fighting stance. He minimized his profile by placing a leg in front of him and a leg behind him, bending his knees. Be brought up his dagger to his cheek and guarded his face.

"You won't leave this clearing alive," Olivander declared. He waited for Joy to move. If he acted without Kitt, it could present complications. He was biding his time for now.

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